Should You Get a Second Opinion?

If you're faced with a major decision regarding alternative courses of treatment for a serious condition, you should consider getting a second opinion. Often this dilemma arises when someone has cancer and has the possibility of choosing between surgery and a less-invasive form of treatment. There are no hard-and-fast rules to tell you when a second opinion (or consultation) is needed, but before you agree to one particular treatment, you should discuss the matter with your physician.

If you have still have any doubts about whether the treatment should be carried out, or if the doctor recommending the treatment is not a recognized expert in this field, you may want to seek a second opinion. Such consultation has always been a part of good medical practice, and a competent physician should not be insulted if you decide to get further advice. If you decide you need a second opinion, make sure you get it from a qualified expert. Some insurance companies actually require that you obtain a second opinion; many others will pay for a second opinion upon request.

You can ask your doctor to recommend another physician who can render an opinion. However, make sure you request a doctor who is not part of the same medical practice. You may want to go to a major center of expertise. If so, check with your insurance that this will be acceptable for reimbursement.

A recent option is a ‘long-distance second opinion’. Two famous hospitals – the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine – now offer such a service for as many as 1,000 patients a year (each). In the case of Johns Hopkins, this service is for international consultations only; however, different departments (e.g. cancer surgery, neurology, and psychiatry) offer within USA remote consultations. Before embarking on a remote consultation (to save traveling for financial or for other practical reasons) you should check whether your health insurance will cover the costs.

Remember, a second opinion is not necessarily better than a first opinion and, whether there is agreement or disagreement, the final decision will be yours. But do take advantage of other experts’ brains and experience, if you need to. They will surely give you better advice than your Aunt Millie.